Tension has gripped Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area in Delta State, following the abduction of an Army officer by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
The officer, identified as Lt.-Col. Josiah, was reportedly taken from his lodge around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, after the attackers stormed the premises, firing sporadically to scare off residents.
The incident has sparked widespread fear in the community, with residents worried about possible reprisals by the military. In response, combined teams of vigilantes and soldiers from the Bomadi Division of the Joint Task Force (JTF) have launched a massive search operation across Bomadi’s bushes and neighboring communities.
During a visit on Tuesday, our correspondent observed residents clustered in groups, discussing the abduction and expressing deep concern over what they described as “the fear of the unknown.”
A local source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Lt.-Col. Josiah had attended a marriage ceremony in Kpakiama community, near Bomadi, shortly before the incident. According to him, the kidnappers raided the officer’s lodge, ransacked rooms, confiscated phones from lodgers, and whisked away the officer in a waiting vehicle.
“They came around 2 to 2:30 a.m., searched every room, seized phones, and dragged the officer outside,” the source said. “They fired several shots before speeding off. After they left, bloodstains were seen on the ground.”
The source further disclosed that the abandoned vehicle used in the abduction was later discovered in Tuomo community, along the Tuomo-Ogbobagbene-Tamigbe-Torugbene-Ojobo road, and has since been taken to the JTF base at Bomadi-Overside.
Efforts to obtain an official comment from military authorities proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
